Legendary rock star David Bowie is best known for the many eras of his career, however much of the focus on his work prior to 1970, with the exception of his iconic single “Space Oddity,” have gone unrecognized. To remedy this, Parlophone Records will be releasing Bowie’s home demos, BBC radio sessions, studio recordings with guitarist John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson and work the experimental music and mime group, Feather, under the five-CD boxset, Conversation Pieces, which explore the artist’s works throughout 1968-1969.

While David Bowie released two self-titled albums in the 1960s, neither of these projects set the way for what Bowie would venture toward later in his career. Many fans and musical critics, such author David Buckley and NME critics Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray, have stated that Bowie’s third album The Man Who Sold The World, is considered the true beginning of his career as a musical artist, that gave way to his most beloved projects such as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and Station To Station.

The release also coincides with the 50th anniversary release of “Space Oddity,” the artist’s first major hit. A new mix for the song will accompany this release as well.

“It was so much fun to find hidden gems of musicianship with more time to mix the second time around, a guitar twiddle here, a trombone blast there, Marc Bolan’s voice in a group choir and more detail in general that we overlooked all those years ago when the label gave us a week at the most to mix this album,” long-time Bowie producer and collaborator Tony Visconti explained. ”  And in the details you will find 22 year old David Bowie, who would soon take the world by storm.”

Conversation Pieces

CD 1 – Home Demos

April’s Tooth Of Gold (2.29) *
The Reverend Raymond Brown (Attends the Garden Fête on Thatchwick Green) (2.15) *
When I’m Five (3.18) *
Mother Grey (3.00)
In The Heat Of The Morning (2.59)
Goodbye 3d (Threepenny) Joe (3.19)
Love All Around (2.49)
London Bye, Ta-Ta (3.31)
Angel Angel Grubby Face (version 1) (2.31)
Angel Angel Grubby Face (version 2) (2.37)
Animal Farm (2.21) *
Space Oddity (solo demo fragment) (2.39)
Space Oddity (version 1) with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (4.02)
Space Oddity (version 2) with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (5.00) *
Space Oddity (version 3) with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (5.10)
Lover To The Dawn with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (3.50)
Ching-a-Ling with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (2.58)
An Occasional Dream with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (2.49)
Let Me Sleep Beside You with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (2.54)
Life Is A Circus with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (4.50)
Conversation Piece (3.47) *
Jerusalem (4.19) *
Hole In The Ground with George Underwood (3.29) *

CD2 – The ‘Mercury’ Demos with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson

Space Oddity (5.28)
Janine (3.53)
An Occasional Dream (3.18)
Conversation Piece (3.31)
Ching-a-Ling (3.35)
I’m Not Quite (aka Letter To Hermione) (4.00)
Lover To The Dawn (5.01)
Love Song (4.08)
When I’m Five (3.13)
Life Is A Circus (5.33)
CD3 – Conversation Pieces (Mono)
In The Heat Of The Morning (Decca mono version) (2.51)
London Bye, Ta-Ta (Decca alternative version) (2.36)

BBC Top Gear radio session with the Tony Visconti Orchestra, recorded 13th May, 1968

In The Heat Of The Morning (3.01)
London Bye, Ta-Ta (2.39)
Karma Man (3.07)
When I’m Five (3.14)
Silly Boy Blue (4.32)
Ching-a-Ling (2.51)
Space Oddity (Morgan Studios version – alternative take) (4.22)* with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson
Space Oddity (U.K. single edit) (4.42)
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (single B-side – mono mix) (4.54)
Janine (mono mix) (3.23)
Conversation Piece (3.06)

BBC Dave Lee Travis Show radio session, recorded 20th October, 1969

Let Me Sleep Beside You (3.20)
Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed (4.03)
Janine (3.03)

CD 4 – 1969 stereo mixes

The original David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) album

Space Oddity (5.14)
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed (inc. Don’t Sit Down) (6.51)
Letter To Hermione (2.32)
Cygnet Committee (9.31)
Janine (3.21)
An Occasional Dream (2.54)
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (4.46)
God Knows I’m Good (3.17)
Memory Of A Free Festival (7.09)
The Extras
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (single B-side stereo mix) (4.56)
Letter To Hermione (early mix) (2.32) *
Janine (early mix) (3.23) *
An Occasional Dream (early mix) (2.54) *
Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola (full length version) (5.14)

CD 5 – 2019 mixes (all previously unreleased)The Space Oddity album

Space Oddity (5.20)
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed (6.18)
Letter To Hermione (2.32)
Cygnet Committee (9.28)
Janine (3.21)
An Occasional Dream (2.57)
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (4.50)
Conversation Piece (3.11)
God Knows I’m Good (3.16)
Memory Of A Free Festival (7.14)
The Extras
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud (single version) (4.59)
Ragazzo Solo, Ragazza Sola (5.20)